The CEO of Western Eagle Ltd, Busayo Mogaji, has explained that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) tenure of office is rooted in the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and cannot be determined by age, dismissing calls for compulsory retirement upon reaching a certain age limit.
In a Sunday statement made available to TVC News, Mogaji argued that in a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law, clarity must prevail over noise, speculation, agitation, or social media interpretations.
Mogaji’s statement came amid recent commentary suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, must compulsorily retire upon attaining the age of 60 in April 2026.
The security expert explained that such agitations reflected a fundamental misunderstanding of the statutory provisions governing the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police.
According to him, the legal and statutory framework guiding the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force clearly provides that the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police is not determined solely by the conventional public service retirement benchmarks of age 60 or 35 years of service.
Mogaji clarified that by virtue of the provisions of the Nigeria Police Act & Regulation, 2020, the office of the Inspector-General of Police enjoys a clearly defined four-year tenure, designed to promote stability, continuity of leadership, and the sustained implementation of reforms within the Force.
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He noted that the legislative intention behind this provision was to insulate the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force from uncertainties that could arise from the routine retirement rules applicable to other categories of public officers.
“Public commentary suggesting that the tenure of the Inspector-General automatically terminates upon attainment of the age of 60 does not fully reflect the clear statutory framework established by the Police Act reforms,” Mr Mogaji stated.
He further emphasised that public discourse on legal and governance matters should be guided by an accurate interpretation of statutory provisions, rather than conjecture capable of misleading the public.
“The law remains clear. The tenure of the Inspector-General of Police is firmly anchored in statute and must be interpreted in accordance with the provisions enacted by the National Assembly and assented to by the President,” he added.
Mogaji concluded that as conversations around policing reforms and institutional strengthening continue, stakeholders, commentators, and the general public must rely on verified legal frameworks when shaping public opinion about leadership within the Nigeria Police Force.
